James’ Journey - From Maintenance Operative to Regional Leadership

James Drew joined Sanctuary Care in 2012 as a Maintenance Operative, bringing a wealth of experience as a self‑employed plumbing and heating engineer.

What stood out to James early on was the impact even small jobs could have on residents’ lives.

“The simplest thing like putting up a painting in a resident’s bedroom, it makes their day and is so rewarding. The smallest things can make all the difference and makes me feel like I’ve achieved something.”

In 2015, James progressed to Regional Maintenance Operative, and in 2018 he became a Regional Maintenance Manager, managing a team of 10.

“My role is incredibly rewarding – I love passing on my skills and knowledge and experience onto others. I never thought that when I joined Sanctuary Care as a maintenance operative that I would be managing a region, and that makes me feel very proud.”

Today, James continues to use his experience to benefit Sanctuary Care on a wider scale.

“I always wanted to use my skills and experience in plumbing and heating to progress and develop into a role that would benefit the company.”

James now supports other regions with plumbing and heating issues, working closely with consultants to improve sustainability and reduce gas and electricity usage, and looks ahead to green technologies that could be utilised in our care homes.

For colleagues thinking about their own development, James offers this advice:

“It’s so rewarding and is about making a difference to our care homes - continually maintaining and improving the environments to a high standard for our residents - it’s a real feeling of achievement and something to be very proud of.”

Join James in building an incredibly rewarding career with Sanctuary Care. Check out our open roles and apply today.